Green Leaders Look to State of the Union for Action on Climate, Creating Opportunities for All

OAKLAND, Calif. – As President Obama prepares to deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday, green leaders call on the president to take further steps toward achieving his commitment to smart climate response strategies that simultaneously address America’s growing economic divide through creating opportunities for all.

“The President has made a solid commitment to helping communities become more resilient in the face of climate change. Last November, the President issued an executive order to protect our communities and economy from climate change,” said Green For All CEO Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins. “But, many of the same investments that will help Americans survive storms can also help stabilize communities on the edge and address economic inequality. We can feed two birds with one seed.”

Green For All has called on the administration to ensure that climate resilience investments also create good, high-wage jobs for Americans who are most vulnerable to climate change, like people of color and those living in poverty.

“When it comes to climate change, people of color and poor Americans are hit first and worst,” explains Wendy Fields-Jacobs, a member of Green For All’s Board of Directors. “I’ve seen first-hand how climate solutions can breathe new life into communities and create economic stability.”

Already, communities around the country are showing that fighting pollution and preparing for climate change disasters can simultaneously revitalize neighborhoods on the edge.

“One of the best ways to keep disasters from destroying communities is to create jobs and economic stability. Climate resilience efforts can do just that,” says Aisha Dorn, CEO of Lifeline Environmental, LLC and a partner of Green For All. “My company is not only helping homeowners and businesses deal with dangerous substances like asbestos, mold, and lead, but it is also creating good jobs for Baltimore.”

Green leaders hope that Tuesday’s address is a bold step toward climate action that factors in economic inequality through the creation of economic opportunities, especially for those hit first and worst by climate change.

Green For All is a national organization working to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. Green For All is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through a clean energy economy. We work in collaboration with the business, government, labor, and grassroots communities to increase quality jobs and opportunities in the green industry – all while holding the most vulnerable people at the center of our agenda.